Spring spacer coupling

ABSTRACT

Devices to couple a drive hub to a driven hub. The devices may comprise a drive hub contoured end connected to a first end of a spacer column and to a spacer drive hub flange. A portion of the drive hub contoured end may project radially out from the spacer column with a first contoured side and a first flat side and may allow movement in an axial direction and transmit torque and an axial load. The devices may comprise a driven hub contoured end connected to a second end of the spacer column and to a spacer driven hub flange. A portion of the driven hub contoured end may project radially out from the spacer column with a second contoured side and a second flat side and may allow movement in an axial direction and transmit torque and an axial load.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/230,847, filed on Dec. 21, 2018, which claims priority under 35U.S.C. § 1.19(e) to provisional application U.S. 62/609,784 filed onDec. 22, 2017, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in thissection are not prior art to the claims in this application and are notadmitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

A pump may be a device that mechanically moves fluids or slurries. Apump may be vertical or horizontal based on certain applications. A pumpmay include a driver motor, a discharge head, a pipe column, and a bowlassembly. An impeller or multiple impellers may be included in the bowlassembly. A spacer coupling may be axially connected to a drive shaft ofthe driver at a drive hub and axially connected to a driven shaftconnected to the impeller(s) at a driven (pump) hub. The spacer couplingmay transmit torque and axial load from the drive shaft to the drivenshaft and also allow for ease of maintenance of the pump.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention is a device to couple a drive hub to adriven hub. The devices may comprise a spacer column. The spacer columnmay have a first end, a second end, and a central axis. The devices maycomprise a drive hub contoured end connected to the first end of thespacer column. A portion of the drive hub contoured end may projectradially out from the first end of the spacer column with a firstcontoured side and a first flat side. The drive hub contoured end may beconfigured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to thecentral axis of the spacer column. The drive hub contoured end may beconfigured to transmit torque and an axial load. The devices maycomprise a spacer drive hub flange connected to a radial outside edge ofthe drive hub contoured end. The space drive hub flange may beconfigured to couple with the drive hub. The devices may comprise adriven hub contoured end connected to the second end of the spacercolumn. A portion of the driven hub contoured end may project radiallyout from the second end of the spacer column with a second contouredside and a second flat side. The driven hub contoured end may beconfigured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to thespacer column. The driven hub contoured end may be configured totransmit torque and an axial load. The devices may comprise a spacerdriven hub flange connected to a radial outside edge of the driven hubcontoured end. The spacer driven hub flange may be configured to coupleto the driven hub.

Another embodiment of the invention includes a system for coupling adrive shaft to a driven shaft. The systems may comprise a driver. Thesystems may comprise a drive shaft. The drive shaft may be rotationallydriven by the driver. The systems may comprise a drive hub. The drivehub may be connected to the drive shaft. The systems may comprise adriven hub. The systems may comprise a driven shaft. The driven shaftmay be connected to the driven hub. The systems may comprise a springspacer coupling. The spring spacer coupling may include a spacer column.The spacer column may have a first end, a second end, and a centralaxis. The spring spacer coupling may include a drive hub contoured endconnected to the first end of the spacer column. A portion of the drivehub contoured end may project radially out from the first end of thespacer column with a first contoured side and a first flat side. Thedrive hub contoured end may be configured to allow movement in an axialdirection relative to the central axis of the spacer column. The drivehub contoured end may be configured to transmit torque and an axialload. The spring spacer coupling may include a spacer drive hub flangeconnected to a radial outside edge of the drive hub contoured end. Thespacer drive hub flange may be configured to couple with the drive hub.The spring spacer coupling may include a driven hub contoured endconnected to the second end of the spacer column. A portion of thedriven hub contoured end may project radially out from the second end ofthe spacer column with a second contoured side and a second flat side.The driven hub contoured end may be configured to allow movement in anaxial direction relative to the spacer column. The driven hub contouredend may be configured to transmit torque and an axial load. The springspacer coupling may include a spacer driven hub flange connected to aradial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end. The spacer drivenhub flange may be configured to couple to the driven hub.

Another embodiment of the invention is a method to attach a springspacer coupling to a drive shaft and a driven shaft. The methods maycomprise attaching a spacer drive hub flange of the spring spacercoupling to a drive hub with drive hub bolts. The drive hub may beattached to the drive shaft. The spacer drive hub flange of the springspacer may be connected to a radial outside edge of a drive hubcontoured end. The drive hub contoured end may be connected to a firstend of a spacer column. A driven hub contoured end may be connected to asecond end of the spacer column. A spacer driven hub flange may beconnected to a radial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end. Themethods may comprise attaching the spacer driven hub flange of thespring spacer coupling to a driven hub with driven hub bolts. The drivenhub may be attached to the driven shaft. A portion of the drive hubcontoured end may project radially out from the first end of the spacercolumn with a first contoured side and a first flat side. The drive hubcontoured end may be configured to allow movement in an axial directionrelative to a central axis of the spacer column. The drive hub contouredend may be configured to transmit torque and an axial load. A portion ofthe driven hub contoured end may project radially out from the secondend of the spacer column with a second contoured side and a second flatside. The driven hub contoured end may be configured to allow movementin an axial direction relative to the central axis of the spacer column.The driven hub contoured end may be configured to transmit torque and anaxial load.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the drawings and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The foregoing and other features of this disclosure will become morefully apparent from the following description and appended claims, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with thedisclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of itsscope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity anddetail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a pump with a spring spacer coupling;

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a spring spacer coupling attached toa drive hub and a driven hub;

FIG. 3 is a cutout perspective view illustrating a spring spacercoupling attached to a drive hub and a driven hub;

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram for an example process to attach aspring coupler to a drive hub and a driven hub of a pump; all arrangedaccording to at least some embodiments described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of thepresent disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated inthe Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, anddesigned in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which areexplicitly contemplated herein.

FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a pump with a spring spacer coupling,arranged in accordance with at least some embodiments described herein.System 100 may include a pump 70. Pump 70 may include a driver 10, adrive shaft 12, a drive hub 16, a spring spacer coupling 20, a drivenshaft 22, a driven hub 24, a pipe column 40, and a bowl assembly 50.Driver 10 may include a motor which may rotate drive shaft 12 atspecified speeds (rev/min). Drive shaft 12 may be attached to drive hub16 by way of a key 14 a. Key 14 a may be secured in grooves in driveshaft 12 and drive hub 16 and key 14 a may secure drive hub 16 to driveshaft 12 radially such that drive hub 16 rotates with drive shaft 12.Split ring 18 may be secured in drive shaft 12 groove and inside drivehub 16 and split ring 18 may secure drive hub 16 to drive shaft 12axially. Spring spacer coupling 20 may be attached to drive hub 16 bydrive hub bolts 26 through spacer drive hub flange 35 and drive hubflange 28. Spacer 20 may rotate with drive hub 16 and drive shaft 12.Spacer 20 may also be attached to driven hub 24 with driven hub bolts 32through spacer driven hub flange 37 and driven hub flange 39. Driven hub24 may rotate with spacer 20, drive hub 16 and drive shaft 12. Drivenhub 24 may be attached to driven shaft 22 by way of a key 14 b proximateto a first end of driven shaft 22. Key 14 b may be secured in grooves indriven shaft 22 and driven hub 24 and may secure driven hub 24 to drivenshaft 22 axially such that driven shaft 22 rotates with driven hub 24,spacer 20, drive hub 16, and drive shaft 12. Driven shaft 22 may extendthrough pipe column 40 and be attached to impellers 55 at a second endof driven shaft 22 within bowl assembly 50. Pipe column 40 and bowlassembly 50 may be connected and may be stationary relative to drivenshaft 22. Driven shaft 22 may rotate impellers 55 within bowl assembly50 when driven shaft is rotated. As described in more detail below,spring spacer coupling 20 may transfer torque and axial load from driveshaft 12 to driven shaft 22 with a range of axial movement.

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an adjustable rigid spacer couplingattached to a driven hub and a driven hub, arranged in accordance withat least some embodiments presented herein. Those components in FIG. 2that are labeled identically to components of FIG. 1 will not bedescribed again for the purposes of brevity.

Spring spacer coupling 20 may include a spacer drive hub flange 35,spacer driven hub flange 37, a spacer column 210, a drive hub contouredend 220, and a driven hub contoured end 230. Spacer column 210 may becylindrical and have a first end 202, a second end 205 and a center axis208. First end 202 of spacer column 210 may be connected to drive hubcontoured end 220. Spacer drive hub flange 35 may be a flat ring and maybe connected to a radial outside edge of drive hub contoured end 220.Second end 205 of spacer column 210 may be connected to driven hubcontoured end 230. Spacer driven hub flange 37 may be a flat ring andmay be connected to a radial outside edge of driven hub contoured end230.

Drive hub bolts 26 may attach spacer drive hub flange 35 and drive hubflange 28 and may transmit torque and axial load from drive hub 16 tospacer drive hub flange 35. Drive hub contoured end 220 may be attachedto first end 202 of spacer column 210 and a portion 222 of drive hubcontoured end 220 may project radially out from first end 202 of spacercolumn 210 to spacer drive hub flange 35. Portion 222 of drive hubcontoured end 220 projecting between first end 202 of spacer column 210and drive hub flange 35 may have a contoured side 225 towards spacercolumn 210 and a flat side 227 opposite contoured side 225. A thicknessof portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220 may contour on contourside 225 as portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220 projects fromspacer column 210 to spacer drive hub flange 35. Portion 222 of drivehub contoured end 220 may have a thickness of 240 at contact with firstend 202 of spacer column 210. Portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220may decrease in thickness to 245 as portion 222 of drive hub contouredend 220 projects away from spacer column 210. Thickness 240 may begreater than thickness 245. Portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220may increase in thickness from 245 to 250 as portion 222 of drive hubcontoured end 220 projects from thickness 245 to spacer drive hub flange35. Thickness 250 may be greater than thickness 245. Portion 222 ofdrive hub contoured end 220 may have a thickness of 250 at contact withspacer drive hub flange 35. Drive hub contoured end 220 may flex axiallyand allow movement in an axial direction relative to center axis 208 ofspacer column 210. Drive hub contoured end 220 may provide axialflexibility relative to center axis 208 of spacer column 210 betweenspacer drive hub flange 35 and spacer column 210. Drive hub contouredend 220 may act as a linear spring as defined by Hooke's Law when aforce is applied to drive hub contoured end 220 in an axial direction.Drive hub contoured end 220 may flex proportionally to a force appliedto drive hub contoured end 220 in an axial direction. Drive hubcontoured end 220 connected to spacer drive hub flange 35 may transmittorque and axial load from spacer drive hub flange 35 to spacer column210.

Spacer column 210 may transmit torque and axial load from drive hubcontoured end 220 to driven hub contoured end 230. Driven hub contouredend 230 may be attached to second end 205 of spacer column 210 and aportion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 may project radially outfrom second end 205 of spacer column 210 to spacer driven hub flange 37.Portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 projecting between secondend 205 of spacer column 210 and driven hub flange 37 may have acontoured side 235 towards spacer column 210 and a flat side 237opposite contoured side 235. A thickness of portion 232 of driven hubcontoured end 230 may contour on contour side 235 as portion 232 ofdriven hub contoured end 230 projects from spacer column 210 to spacerdriven hub flange 37. Portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 mayhave a thickness of 260 at contact with spacer column 210. Portion 232of driven hub contoured end 230 may decrease in thickness to 265 asportion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 projects away from spacercolumn 210. Thickness 260 may be greater than thickness 265. Portion 232of driven hub contoured end 230 may increase in thickness from 265 to270 as portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 projects fromthickness 265 to spacer driven hub flange 37. Thickness 270 may begreater than thickness 265. Portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230may have a thickness of 270 at contact with spacer driven hub flange 37.Driven hub contoured end 230 may flex axially and allow movement in anaxial direction relative to center axis 208 of spacer column 210. Drivenhub contoured end 230 may provide axial flexibility relative to centeraxis 208 of spacer column 210 between spacer column 210 and spacerdriven hub flange 37. Driven hub contoured end 230 may behave like alinear spring as defined by Hooke's Law when a force is applied todriven hub contoured end 230 in an axial direction. Driven hub contouredend 230 may flex proportionally to a force applied to driven hubcontoured end 230 in an axial direction. Driven hub bolts 32 may attachspacer driven hub flange 37 and driven hub flange 39 and may transmittorque and axial load from spacer driven hub flange 37 to driven hubflange 39. Axial flexibility of drive hub contoured end 220 and drivenhub contoured end 230 may allow a range of axial movement for springspacer coupling 20 and may allow for coupling of a drive shaft and adriven shaft with a misalignment of axes by spring spacer coupling 20.

Thickness 245 of drive hub contoured end 220 may affect axialflexibility of drive hub contoured end 220 and thickness 245 may beincreased or decreased to increase or decrease axial flexibility ofdrive hub contoured end 220. Thickness 265 of driven hub contoured end230 may affect axial flexibility of driven hub contoured end 230 andthickness 265 may be increased or decreased to increase or decreaseaxial flexibility of driven hub contoured end 230. Thickness 245 ofdrive hub contoured end 220 may be the same or different as thickness265 of driven hub contoured end 230 and axial flexibility of drive hubcontoured end 220 may be the same or different as axial flexibility ofdriven hub contoured end 230. A flexibility of spring spacer coupling 20may be a combination of the flexibility of drive hub contoured end 220and driven hub contoured end 230.

FIG. 3 is a cutout side perspective view illustrating a spring spacercoupling attached to a driven hub and a driven hub, arranged inaccordance with at least some embodiments presented herein. Thosecomponents in FIG. 3 that are labeled identically to components of FIGS.1-2 will not be described again for the purposes of brevity.

Portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220 may project radially out fromfirst end 202 of spacer column 210 to spacer drive hub flange 35. Asshown in cutout side perspective view, portion 222 of drive hubcontoured end 220 may be contoured and curve as drive hub contoured end220 projects from first end 202 of spacer column 210 to spacer drive hubflange 35. Portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220 may have athickness of 240 at contact with first end 202 of spacer column 210.Contoured side 225 of portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220 mayhave a curved profile 310 as portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220decreases from thickness 240 to thickness 245 when portion 222 of drivehub contoured end 220 projects away from first end 202 of spacer column210. Contoured side 225 of portion 222 of drive hub contoured end 220may have a curved profile 320 as portion 222 of drive hub contoured end220 increases in thickness from 245 to 250 when drive hub contoured end220 projects from thickness 245 to spacer drive hub flange 35. Profile310 may be different from profile 320.

Portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 may contour and curve asportion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 projects from second side205 of spacer column 210 to spacer drive hub flange 35. Portion 232 ofdrive hub contoured end 220 may have a thickness of 240 at contact withsecond side 205 of spacer column 210. Contoured side 235 of portion 232of driven hub contoured end 230 may have a curved profile 330 as portion232 of driven hub contoured end 230 decreases from thickness 260 tothickness 265 when portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 projectsaway from second side 205 of spacer column 210. Contoured side 235 ofportion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 may have a curve profile 340as portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230 increases in thicknessfrom 265 to 270 when portion 232 of driven hub contoured end 230projects from thickness 265 to spacer driven hub flange 37.

Profile 330 may be different from profile 340.

A device in accordance with the present disclosure may provide a springspacer coupling that may flex to account for axial clearances requiredfor machinery. A device in accordance with the present disclosure mayprovide a spring spacer coupling that is flexible to adjust formisalignment of two connected shafts is not limited to finite adjustmentincrements and also transmits torque axial load. A device in accordancewith the present disclosure may provide a spring spacer coupling thathas a larger dynamic range of rotor axial movement under load thanconventional spacer couplings.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram for an example process to attach aspring coupler to a drive hub and a driven hub of a pump, arranged inaccordance with at least some embodiments presented herein. The processin Fig. could be implemented using, for example, system 300 discussedabove. An example process may include one or more operations, actions,or functions as illustrated by one or more of blocks S2, and/or S4.Although illustrated as discrete blocks, various blocks may be dividedinto additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated,depending on the desired implementation.

Processing may begin at block S2, “Attach a spacer drive hub flange ofthe spring spacer coupling to a drive hub with drive hub bolts, whereinthe drive hub is attached to the drive shaft, the spacer drive hubflange of the spring spacer is connected to a radial outside edge of adrive hub contoured end, the drive hub contoured end is connected to afirst end of a spacer column, a driven hub contoured end is connected toa second end of the spacer column, and a spacer driven hub flange isconnected to a radial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end”. Atblock S2, a spacer drive hub flange of the spring spacer coupling may beattached to a drive hub with drive hub bolts. The drive hub may beattached to the drive shaft. The spacer drive hub flange of the springspacer may be connected to a radial outside edge of a drive hubcontoured end. The drive hub contoured end may be connected to a firstend of a spacer column. A driven hub contoured end may be connected to asecond end of the spacer column. A spacer driven hub flange may beconnected to a radial outside edge of the driven hub contoured end.

Processing may continue from block S2 to block S4, “Attach the spacerdriven hub flange of the spring spacer coupling to a driven hub withdriven hub bolts, wherein the driven hub is attached to the drivenshaft, wherein a portion of the drive hub contoured end projectsradially out from the first end of the spacer column with a firstcontoured side and a first flat side, the drive hub contoured end isconfigured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to a centralaxis of the spacer column, and the drive hub contoured end is configuredto transmit torque and an axial load and a portion of the driven hubcontoured end projects radially out from the second end of the spacercolumn with a second contoured side and a second flat side, the drivenhub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axial directionrelative to the central axis of the spacer column, and the driven hubcontoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load”. Atblock S4, the spacer driven hub flange of the spring spacer coupling maybe attached to a driven hub with driven hub bolts. The driven hub may beattached to the driven shaft. A portion of the drive hub contoured endmay project radially out from the first end of the spacer column with afirst contoured side and a first flat side. The drive hub contoured endmay be configured to allow movement in an axial direction relative to acentral axis of the spacer column. The drive hub contoured end may beconfigured to transmit torque and an axial load. A portion of the drivenhub contoured end may project radially out from the second end of thespacer column with a second contoured side and a second flat side. Thedriven hub contoured end may be configured to allow movement in an axialdirection relative to the central axis of the spacer column. The drivenhub contoured end may be configured to transmit torque and an axialload.

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scopeand spirit being indicated by the following claims.

1-16. (canceled)
 17. A method to attach a spring spacer coupling to adrive shaft and a driven shaft, the method comprising: attaching aspacer drive hub flange of the spring spacer coupling to a drive hubwith drive hub bolts, wherein the drive hub is attached to the driveshaft, the spacer drive hub flange of the spring spacer is connected toa radial outside edge of a drive hub contoured end, the drive hubcontoured end is connected to a first end of a spacer column, a drivenhub contoured end is connected to a second end of the spacer column, anda spacer driven hub flange is connected to a radial outside edge of thedriven hub contoured end, and attaching the spacer driven hub flange ofthe spring spacer coupling to a driven hub with driven hub bolts,wherein the driven hub is attached to the driven shaft; wherein aportion of the drive hub contoured end projects radially out from thefirst end of the spacer column with a first contoured side towards thespacer column and a first flat side opposite the first contoured side,the drive hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axialdirection relative to a central axis of the spacer column, and the drivehub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axial load anda portion of the driven hub contoured end projects radially out from thesecond end of the spacer column with a second contoured side towards thespacer column and a second flat side opposite the second contoured side,the driven hub contoured end is configured to allow movement in an axialdirection relative to the central axis of the spacer column, and thedriven hub contoured end is configured to transmit torque and an axialload.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the portion of the drive hubcontoured end has a first thickness at contact with the first end of thespacer column, decreases in thickness to a second thickness as the drivehub contoured end projects away from the spacer column, and increases inthickness to a third thickness as the drive hub contoured end projectsto the spacer drive hub flange.
 19. The method of claim 17, the portionof the driven hub contoured end has a first thickness at contact withthe second end of the spacer column, decreases in thickness to a secondthickness as the driven hub contoured end projects away from the spacercolumn, and increases in thickness to a third thickness as the drivenhub contoured end projects to the spacer driven hub flange.
 20. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the drive hub contoured end flexesproportionally to a force applied to the drive hub contoured end in anaxial direction relative to the central axis of the spacer column. 21.The method of claim 18, wherein the second thickness determines theamount of movement in the axial direction relative to the central axisof the spacer column allowed by the drive hub contoured end.
 22. Themethod of claim 19, wherein the second thickness determines the amountof movement in the axial direction relative to the central axis of thespacer column allowed by the driven hub contoured end.
 23. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the driven hub contoured end flexes proportionally toa force applied to the driven hub contoured end in an axial directionrelative to the central axis of the spacer column.
 24. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the drive hub contoured end flexes proportionally to aforce applied to the drive hub contoured end in an axial directionrelative to the central axis of the spacer column and the driven hubcontoured end flexes proportionally to a force applied to the driven hubcontoured end in an axial direction relative to the central axis of thespacer column.